Prigozhin’s Wagner Group Cheers Niger Coup, Offers ‘Helpful’ Hand

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• Russian mercenary leader Prigozhin made controversial remarks about the Niger coup.
• Prigozhin blamed the crisis on colonialism and claimed Western nations backed terrorist groups.
• Prigozhin offered Wagner’s services to address the situation.

Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has sparked controversy with a lengthy social media post regarding the recent coup in Niger.

Despite widespread condemnation of the coup from the international community and African states, Prigozhin offered his unique perspective.

He attributed the crisis in Niger to the lingering effects of colonialism and made unverified claims that Western nations were backing terrorist groups in the country.

Before the coup, Niger had been one of the few democracies in the region, and its colonial past as a former French colony was notable.

Interestingly, Prigozhin, who had previously led an armed rebellion against the Kremlin in June, remains at large.

Following the short-lived uprising, he and his troops reportedly agreed to head to Belarus.

However, recent sightings of Prigozhin in St. Petersburg, where he was seen meeting an African dignitary during a summit between African nations and Russia, have raised questions about his movements.

In his message, Prigozhin also made a business proposal, stating that his private military company, Wagner, possessed the capabilities to address the ongoing situation in Niger’s capital, Niamey.

Currently, hundreds of Wagner contractors are in neighboring Mali, working with the country’s military junta to combat an Islamist insurgency that poses a significant threat in the region where Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger share borders.